Passenger Trains > Passengers stranded in snow- Congress demands answers

Thanks to inept management at the taxpayer supported rail service, Senators are now calling for answers:

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2022/01/07/amtrak-stranded-passengers-snowstorm/

This is the first of many investigations that should be held into Amtrak's performance and treatment of customers over the last month

Good for them. Finally something worthwhile for them to investigate. 

More than just Amtrak.  Seems that precision scheduled railroading have given us a very fragile and easily disrupted rail system.

JimVB Wrote:
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> More than just Amtrak.  Seems that precision
> scheduled railroading have given us a very fragile
> and easily disrupted rail system.

PSR has nothing to do with what Amtrak is being investigated for 

 More than just Amtrak.  Seems that precision
> scheduled railroading have given us a very fragile
> and easily disrupted rail system.

PSR has nothing to do with what Amtrak is being investigated for 
I must point out that, although Amtrak had a few fallen trees to deal with around Odention, MD, the NEC did not shut down and delays on Jan. 3-4 were minor.  The problem on CSX and NS was two-fold:
Lack of preparation for winter 
Lack of a strategic plan to deal with the fallen trees.
Yes, Amtrak dropped the ball in VA insofar as communicating, but the lion's share of the problem was the host roads reacting with too little - too late.
Andy

NS and CSX both had hundreds of trees down across their ROWs. 

What would you suggest that they did differently?  Ice storms cripple infrastructure. 

Virginia also had major failures on I95, with a 30 hour traffic jam. Is that due to PSR?

The comparison to the NEC is bogus as well. You're talking 50-100 miles north of the area with issues. That's a big gap when it comes to weather events. 

In NJ, Amtrak has been vigorously defending its right of way from tree encroachment for years. I've posted pictures of vertical trims along the property line when adjacent owners refused to maintain their trees.

Posted from Android

The railroads used to maintain a wider right of way. Now trees are allowed to grow closer to the tracks. Part of employee downsizing to maintain operating ratio. 

nedzarp Wrote:
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> The railroads used to maintain a wider right of
> way. Now trees are allowed to grow closer to the
> tracks. Part of employee downsizing to maintain
> operating ratio. 

Railroad right of way width widely varies:

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,2649780

A perfectly maintained, 100' wide ROW surrounded by 70' tall trees will still have downed trees due to trees falling from adjacent properties. 

nedzarp Wrote:
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> The railroads used to maintain a wider right of
> way. Now trees are allowed to grow closer to the
> tracks. Part of employee downsizing to maintain
> operating ratio. 

i remember our roadmaster having my partner and i trim back bushes away from a SIDING to increase clearances for the train crews.

had to be careful in the summer with rattlesnakes out and about...........

66

When will the investigation occur for the thousands of people who were stranded on I-95 with no heat, food, shelter, etc?
When will the investigation occur for the 25000 (yes twenty five THOUSAND flights plus) flights cancelled over the past 3 weeks?
Its weather - Amtrak doesn't have control over it. Sure, lets put chain saws on all the engines so crews can cut through trees and then derail on the track damage...
Congress has more important things to do!

I'm shocked, SHOCKED that Congress is shocked that we have a Third World postal system, oops I mean a Third World passenger train system!

dispr Wrote:
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> When will the investigation occur for the
> thousands of people who were stranded on I-95 with
> no heat, food, shelter, etc?
> When will the investigation occur for the 25000
> (yes twenty five THOUSAND flights plus) flights
> cancelled over the past 3 weeks?
> Its weather - Amtrak doesn't have control over it.
> Sure, lets put chain saws on all the engines so
> crews can cut through trees and then derail on the
> track damage...
> Congress has more important things to do!

Like scrutinize where billions in appropriations are being spent. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/08/22 08:46 by Molino.

Molino Wrote:
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> Thanks to inept management at the taxpayer
> supported rail service, Senators are now calling
> for answers:
>
>  https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/20
> 22/01/07/amtrak-stranded-passengers-snowstorm/

Wow it is not like this is the first time, happens every time there are huge storms. Unless you and some others on  here can control either the weather or fix the problem get over yourselves. Must have lead a very sheltered life by the way also I have personally dealt with extreme weather in my jobs over the years and there is little that can be done to fix it quickly. 

I have not heard of tree-related delays to the CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR, COAST STARLIGHT and EMPIRE BUILDER, who travel through some heavily tree-infested areas in the west.  What do BNSF and UP do differently than CSX and NS to keep their ROWs clear of tree limbs?
Andy

twropr Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have not heard of tree-related delays to the
> CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR, COAST STARLIGHT and EMPIRE
> BUILDER, who travel through some heavily
> tree-infested areas in the west.  What do BNSF
> and UP do differently than CSX and NS to keep
> their ROWs clear of tree limbs?
> Andy

The delays are probably counted as weather related. 

It’s all nothing but more congressional grandstanding.

Posted from iPhone

Doug Wetherhold
Macungie, PA

altoonafn Wrote:
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> A perfectly maintained, 100' wide ROW surrounded by 70' tall trees will still have downed trees due to trees falling from adjacent properties. 

So are you claiming that the 100s of trees that were down (per your other post) were on such wide ROWs?

The Senators' complaint is about Amtrak's communication, and their lack thereof.

Why are most of the posts here off topic about Class I preparedness, trees, PSR, and I-95  ? 

Not a solitary word about any of it, of course not, on Friday's NARP Hotline.